Waxing Crescent Phase Moon

June 07, 2019

You don't need anything fancy to enjoy the moon. Even an old toy telescope should give you a surprisingly good view. And never underestimate the power of binoculars either.

This weekend the moon is moving through the waxing crescent phase. It'll be a first quarter moon on Sunday night. A partial moon is so much more fun to look at than a full moon. The shadow accentuates textures. Craters seem deeper, mountains seem taller. And the shadow moves each night to reveal new features. It's easier to appreciate just how big the moon is.

And as you look at it, it's also fun to know what you're looking at. Since the eastern side of the moon will be illuminated, the four easternmost "seas" will be visible all weekend. And I love the names of the moon's seas. There's the the Sea of Fertility to the south, and the Sea of Crises to the north. Further in is the smaller Sea of Nectar, and north of that is the Sea of Tranquility... the landing site for Apollo 11. All four will be visible all weekend, and the northern Sea of Serenity will be visible Sunday night. Also, the south pole is heavily cratered, so there's lots of texture to appreciate there as well.

Look to the western sky in the evening to find the moon this weekend.

If you're more of a full moon person, just wait until Father's Day when the full moon will be low to the southeast, right next to a very bright Jupiter.